1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a grain bag unloader or extractor for unloading or extracting grain from a grain bag or silo bag positioned on the ground and which is filled with grain. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved grain bag unloader which is safer and more convenient to use than the prior art grain bag unloading machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
A grain bag or a silo bag is a long polyethylene bag which is positioned on the ground or other supporting surface and which may be filled with grain for storage purposes. The bag is filled through the use of a grain bagging machine which can be filled from a combine, grain cart or similar types of machinery. The grain bag is normally emptied or unloaded by a grain unloading machine which rolls the bag up as it augers the grain out of the bag to a truck or the like.
One type of prior art grain unloading system is that marketed by Richiger and identified as Model EA-180. In the EA-180 model, a wheeled frame is provided which is connected to the hitch of a tractor. A transversely extending grain unloading auger is provided at the rearward end of the wheeled frame with the grain unloading auger sweeping or augering grain towards the center thereof into a grain hopper. An upwardly and angularly extending grain discharge auger has its lower end in communication with the grain hopper for discharging the grain from the side of the machine into a truck, cart or trailer. A bag take-in roller or bag winder is rotatably mounted on the wheeled frame forwardly of the grain unloading auger and the discharge auger which rolls or winds the empty grain bag thereon as the grain is being unloaded from the grain bag. Although the Model EA-180 machine has met with some success, it is believed that there are two shortcomings or disadvantages of that machine. First, the unloading auger and the grain discharge auger are operated simultaneously and it is not possible to easily disengage the grain unloading auger while the discharge auger is discharging grain. During the clean-up operation, as the final remnants of the grain are being emptied from the bag, it is sometimes advantageous to be able to shovel the remaining grain into a finishing hopper which is in communication with the grain hopper but the same is dangerous since if the grain discharge auger is being operated, the grain unloading auger will also be operated which can pose a hazard for a person standing near the rotating grain unloading auger.
A further shortcoming of the Model EA-180 is in the manner in which the bag is removed from the bag winder or take-in roller after the bag has been emptied. Normally, the bag is removed from the bale winder by positioning a truck or tractor on the free end of the bag and then driving the tractor, which is connected to the grain unloading machine, forwardly thereby pulling the bag from the bag winder. However, this task is made difficult due to the fact that the bag winder is powered by a hydraulic motor through a reduction gear case both of which offer considerable resistance to the reverse rotation of the bag winder.